Yaaay. I finally found the time to update! Sorry 'bout that. I haven't had much time because of school and, well, girl's gotta graduate after all :))

But anyway, about this drabble, I was running low on ideas, so I find it so... ewan (forgive my use of another language but it was the only word I could think of to describe it). I literally made about five completely different unfinished versions of this prompt, and all were unfinished. In fact, I'm not entirely sure this is still related to the prompt, but make of it what you will.

Did my best, so I hope it was enough :)

Prepared

Back and forth; back and forth she goes as she wrings her hands furiously.

"Would you stop pacing like that? You're going to ruin your outfit."

Chloe watches from her spot on the bed, her blue eyes wide with concern.

"Seriously Beca, calm down."

Beca's pacing finally comes to a halt as she comes across her appearance in the mirror. "Don't you have anything that can cover my tattoos better?" So much for being that snarky little alt girl who couldn't give two shits about anyone or anything.

"Unless you want to wear a turtleneck in the middle of September, then no, I don't."

Beca groans as she turns around to face the redhead. "Not helping, Chloe!"

Chloe raises an eyebrow at her, trying not to show her amusement. Beca is in a panic, over her tattoos of all things. How the hell did she become this girl?

Oh wait. That's right.

It's the exact same reason why she is at her wits end at the moment.

Goddamn Jesse Swanson just had to walk into her life.

Goddamn Jesse Swanson just had to introduce her to his parents.

At a formal restaurant, of all places. As if the idea of meeting his parents wasn't nerve-wracking enough. He had to take her out of her comfort zone too.

She really hates Jesse right now.

His parents had come to drop him off again at Barden in the beginning of the school year and had decided to stay for another week to discover what the lovely state of Georgia had to offer (which, Beca is sure of, is nothing). Within those few weeks apparently, they had made a reservation at the newly-opened Italian restaurant twenty minutes from the Barden campus and had urged Jesse to bring along his new girlfriend.

"You can't be serious. We just started dating!"

"We've known each other for a year, Bec. Come on, there's nothing to worry about."

"In case you're forgetting, I'm not exactly every parent's dream girl."

"Are you kidding? They'll love you!"

"This is a terrible idea."

"Please, Beca."

A sigh. "Don't say I never did anything for you."

"Is that a yes?"

"Not like I have much of a choice, right?"

"Of course you do. But really? You're not bailing on me?"

"Pretty sure I couldn't even if I wanted to."

She was supposed to meet Jesse at his dorm half an hour ago. And while she knew tardiness wouldn't help anything, her nerves had gotten the best of her and here she was, stalling to no end.

There's a knock on the door and Beca already knows who it is before she even opens it. Jesse is there on the other side, looking like he'd just been stood up.

Oh right.

He tries to smirk. "I thought you were supposed to be the one to pick me up, boyfriend?"

No eye roll. No retort. Nothing from her.

She refuses to meet his eyes as she lets him in, she stares at her shoes as she hears Chloe whisper "I'll leave you two alone" and close the door behind her.

They just stand there, Beca refusing to look up and Jesse staring her down. He breaks the silence.

"You're being ridiculous," he says matter-of-factly.

That finally catches Beca's attention, and she looks up at him with both her eyebrows raised. "Really? That's the first thing you're going to say to me?"

"Beca," he says as he steps closer, taking hold of her wrists, gently drawing circles on them with his thumbs. "I don't understand why you're freaking out about this. It's not that big of a deal."

She lets out an exasperated sigh and pulls away from his grip, immediately missing his touch as she plops down to sit on the edge of her bed. Jesse looks confused but sits next to her, and takes it as a good sign when she doesn't move away.

"I'm not used to this kind of thing, okay?" Though, okay, maybe her anxiety over the situation is a bit ridiculous, she silently admits. "It's not like I'm the type of girl guys want to bring home to meet their mom. I'm not even the type who dates guys who bring girls home to their mom. Hell, I'm not even the type of girl who dates."

She's rambling and it's kind of embarrassing, but she can see the way Jesse is looking at her, how he's really making an effort to understand her, so she continues.

"You're trying to make it seem like it's not a big deal, but I know this means a lot to you." She swallows and braces herself, because she knows that what she's about to say is something he will never let her live down. "And I… I care about you. Things are different with you. I want this go well because I want things for us to go well, if that makes any sense."

Beca hates how her stomach flutters at the way he's looking at her.

"So…" A smile is creeping and it lights up Jesse's whole face. "You like me. You really like me."

He's wagging his eyebrows and just like that, the mood is lifted and Beca can't resist rolling her eyes.

"Come on Beca, there's no denying it now."

She groans and buries her face in his shoulder, but doesn't suppress the smile when she feels Jesse laugh. When had she become so pathetic?

"So are we still doing this?"

Beca looks up at him. "But we're like, half an hour late."

"No we're not." There's a mischievous grin on Jesse's face when he sees her blink in confusion.

"You thought I couldn't foresee your little meltdown? Please, Beca, give me some credit. By the time we get there, we'll be ten minutes early."

You know what to doooo! :D